Merlion Park

The Merlion is one of the most iconic symbols of Singapore. It is a legendary creature with the head of a lion and the body of a fish and represents the Singapore’s noble origins as a humble fishing village and its transformation into a strong and important economy on the world stage.

The Merlion Park is known for the impressive Merlion statue which is seen on marketing and advertising campaigns for the city. It stands proud at 8.6 metres tall, weighs more than 70 tonnes and continually spouts water from its mouth into the bay below.

It was unveiled in 1972, but on the completion of the construction of the Esplanade Bridge, the view of the statue was blocked from the Marina Bay waterfront. The decision was taken to move the statue 120m so that it could be seen from the Marina Bay. Having survived the relocation, in 2009, it was unfortunately struck by lightning. Several broken pieces were heard falling to the ground but the statue was repaired successfully and started to spout water again just a month later.

It tends to get very busy so go early in the morning if you want to avoid the crowds.